The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-06-25


iii | should leave these vain delights
and 90 10 earn some money in u print
ing Office In u. was, though so
Young. n good compositor. swift and
clean. and when the foreman Of the
printing Office appeared one day at our
cabin. aud asked II | could come AMI
take the place of delinquent hand,
there was no question with any one
but myself that l must 90. For me,
terrible homesickncss fell instantly
npon me-a homcsickncss that al
ready. in the mere prospect of absence.
pierced my heart. and filled my throat,
and blinded me with tears.
The foreman wanted me To go back
with him in his buggy, but days
grace was granted me. and then my
older brother took me 10 u, where
be was 10 meet my father at the rail-
road station on his return from Gin
cinrati. Ii had been showing. in the
soft, Southern Ohio fashion, but the
clouds had broken away and the even
ing fell in clear sky, apple-grecn
along the horizon. as we drove on.
This color of the sky must always be
associated for me with the despair that
then filled my soul. and which / was
constantly swallowing down with great
gulps. We joked, and got some miser-
able laughter ont of the efforts Of the
horse TO free himself from the snow
that balled in his hoofs, but | suffered
all the time an anguish of homcsick-
ness that now seems incredible. All
the time had every fact OF the cabin
life before me; what each of the chill
drcn was doing, especially the younger
ones, and what. above all, my mother
was doing, and how at every moment
she was looking; saw the wretched
little phantasm of myself moving about
there.
The c6itor to whom my brother de-
livered me over could not conceive of
me as tragedy; he received me as II
were the merest commonplace, and de-
livered me in turn To the good man
with whom | was TO board. There
were half dozen school girls board
ing there, too, and their gayety when
they came in added 20 my desolation.
The man said supper was about
ready. and he rcckoncd | would get
something TO eat il ! looked out for
myself. Upon reflection, | answered
that thought did not want any sup
per, and that | must go To find my
brother, whom | had to tell something.
] found him at the station and told him
/ was going home with him. He tried
20 reason with me, or rather with my
frenzy OF homesickness; and / agreed
10 leave the question open till my faith
CT came, bat in my own mind 1t was
closed.
Ny father suggested. however, some
thing that had not occurred To either
of us; we should both stay This
seemed possible for me; but not ut that
clearinghouse within the sound
a the laughter OF those girlsl We
went TO the hotel, where we had beef
steak and ham and eggs and hot bis.
cult every morning for breakfast, aud
where we paid - apiece for the week
we stayed. AT the end of this time the
editor had found another hand, and
VIC went home, where | was welcomed
as from years absence.
Again | was called 90 suffer this trial
- the chief trial Of my boyhood-but II
came i'm milder form, and was light
ened TO me not only by the experience
of survival from IL. but by various cir
cumstances. This time i went to
D., where one of my unclcs was
still living. and he somehow learned
the misery | was in. and babe me come
and stay with him while remained in
D.. was very fond OF him and 9f
the gentle creature, his wife, who stood
10 me for all that was naturally and
conventionally refined, type of gra-
cious loneliness and worldly splendor.
They had an only child, to whom
her cousins presence in the house was
a constant JOY. Over them all hung
the shadow offragile health. and j look
back ut them through the halo OF their
early death; but the remembrance can
not make them kinder than they really
were. With all that was homesick
still. ] fell asleep with tho radiant
image OF our log cabin before my eyes.
and awokc with my heart like lead
In my breast.
did not sec how could get through
the day, and began IL with miserable
tears. had found that by drinking a
good deal Of water at my meals could
keep down the sobs for the time being,
and practiccd this device TO the SUR
prise and alarm Of my relatives. who
were troubled with the spectacle of my
unnatural thirst.
Sometimes left the table and ran
out for burst of tears behind the
house; every night after dark ! cried
there alone. But could not wholly
hide my suffering. and | suppose that
after awhile the sight Of IL became in
tolerable. At any rate, q blessed
evening came, when, returning from
| n 4 l.. .sat -" e.